Accessories reviews balance between a spectrum of products from computer cases to video surveillance cameras and even to accessories that enable users to squeeze more storage into smaller footprints. Accessories reviews form a large catch-all to compile all of the tech extras that users require, but that don't quite fit into our other categories of SSDs, HDDs, SOHO NAS and the like.

January 25th, 2012 by Kevin OBrien

When we think about performance storage in the consumer space, most of us skip quickly to the enthusiast-grade SSDs, and for most usage scenarios, that makes sense. But there are cases when even the fastest SSDs don't provide enough throughput - enter RAM disks. Storage devices built around volatile RAM have been in use for some time, but with RAM getting both faster and less expensive, there's an increasingly viable case to be made for using RAM as a semi-permanent storage solution. In this case, we take a look at Patriot Memory's Viper XTreme Division 4 RAM as used in a RAM disk scenario.

January 6th, 2012 by Andrew Baxter

While generally not considered part of the storage ecosystem, networking gear plays a key role in transporting data from device to device. In this case we're taking a look at Netgear's latest high-performance router offering, the N900 (WNDR4500). The N900 offers all the wired and wireless standards, including 802.11 b/g/n on the 2.4 GHz spectrum and 802.11 a/n on the 5.0 GHz spectrum, which incidentally has had its range increased this time around. It also offers features like wireless printer sharing, and ReadyShare USB storage access, which can deliver HD video streams to wired or wireless media streamers around the house.

December 26th, 2011 by Kevin OBrien

If someone asked you how many wall chargers you have for a USB-powered device, chances are you could probably list off a few from the top of your head. Most devices sold today, including wireless hard drives and smartphones include a charging cable that terminates with a common USB plug. With its widespread compatibility, this allows users to charge their devices anywhere a computer or wall charger is located. This is where the NewerTech Power2U Ac/USB Wall Outlet comes into play, offering a cord-only charging solution for portable devices putting the charger inside the wall, never to be misplaced again.

November 29th, 2011 by Kevin OBrien

The Icy Dock MB662USEB-2-1 is a simple two-bay enclosure designed to be used in RAID0/1, JBOD or Concatenation modes with 3.5-inch hard drives. The enclosure offers a quad-interface, allowing users to connect via FireWire 800/400, USB 2.0 and eSATA. In the box Icy Dock includes everything you need to get rolling (except the drives); power adapter and cables for each interface are standard equipment.

November 28th, 2011 by Kevin OBrien

OWC makes the only MacBook Air SSD replacements, which offer tremendous performance improvements especially with the latest generation MacBook Air which can leverage the benefits of the SATA 6Gb/s interface. To help upgraders get some use out of their stock SSD, OWC released adaptations of two of their 2.5" drive enclosures. We tested the Mercury On-The-Go and enjoyed its sleek design, but for those who want more interface options and the benefits of an all aluminum body, the OWC Mercury Elite Pro Mini has a ton to offer.

November 2nd, 2011 by Brian Beeler

When OWC made the first MacBook Air SSD replacement earlier this year, they vowed to also release an external storage solution so buyers who were upgrading could also use their old SSD for external storage. OWC has made good on the promise, releasing adaptations of two of their 2.5" drive enclosures. The Mercury On-The-Go is the first to hit our test bench. The enclosure features an polycarbonate acrylic outer shell to deliver the style, with a USB 3.0 interface that's Mac and PC friendly.

October 6th, 2011 by Brian Beeler

Western Digital has added to their line of media streaming products with their latest effort, the WD TV Live (WDBHG70000NBK). TV Live is designed to get both your networked media files and streaming services into new places in the home. Where the WD TV Live Hub is the bigger brother with 1TB of internal storage and geared to be in the home theater, the WD TV Live has no local storage and is designed to go with the bedroom, office or other TV in the house. TV Live is not only much smaller than the Live Hub, but it also features WiFi, making setup about as easy as it gets.

September 6th, 2011 by Brian Beeler

The Icy Dock 4-in-3 backplane gives users easy access to four hard drives in the space occupied by three 5.25" drive bays in a typical PC case. The unit is highlighted by tool-less/tray-less hard drive slots and dedicated SATA connections making it an ideal RAID backplane. Icy Dock has also thrown in a bunch of extras like individual drive power buttons, front mounted USB and eSATA ports and a three mode, user-replaceable fan.

August 30th, 2011 by Brian Beeler

Icy Dock released a new hard drive docking station this summer that offers great flexibility; the MB981U3-1SA has a long list of supported drive types including 2.5" and 3.5" SATA drives, but if that's not good enough for you, they also include legacy IDE support. The dock connects to a computer via USB 3.0 interface, which can power the unit when used with 2.5" drives.